Africa’s P — Population
Is Africa’s economy strained by its fast-growing population?
Is Africa's economy strained by its fast-growing population?
Takeaways
At 17 per 1,000, Africa’s death rate is the highest in the world (the next-highest is 11 per 1,000 in the former communist countries of Europe and Central Asia).
Worse, there was a strong upswing in death rates after 1997, reflecting the dreadful ravages of AIDS.
There is not yet a "demographic revolution” in which family size starts to decline — as other parts of the world have experienced.
That is likely the result of Africa's lack of development. For very poor people, large families are a method of social security.
About Guy Pfeffermann
Guy Pfeffermann is the Founder and CEO of the Global Business School Network. He was formerly the chief economist of the IFC. Follow him @GPfeffermann
